1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a launched projectile which functions as a fin-stabilized missile in its ascent and as an air propelled helicopter in its descent. Uniquely, the present invention device ascends and descends while remaining in the nose-up position and a single set of fins stabilize the ascent in a first position and act as helicopter type blades during the descent.
2. Prior Art Statement
The prior art is replete with toy and other projectile devices which are launched as missiles or rockets and descend in a helicopter fashion.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,880,586 and 3,826,037 describe vertically launched projectiles with fins that change position at the top of an ascent so as to become blades or propellors to create a descent like a helicopter. These, however, turn the missile around so that the nose faces down and hits the earth first, on descent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,753,657 and 3,119,196 describe airflight devices which are shot upward in a closed position and open for descent to simulate a helicopter. They do not, however, involve rockets or missiles and do not have an initial arrangement of fins around a body. They do teach the basic concept, long recognized in the field, that closed blades can be shot up, opened and cause helicopter type descent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,044,819 and 2,380,278 teach bomb type missiles which have copter blades held flat against the missile body during propulsion and open for copter type descent. These devices do allow for nose-up ascent and descent but stabilizing fins are not included during ascent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,801 describes a model rocket which is shot and, when maximum altitude is reached, a nose cone is ejected, blades on a central rod rise out of the rocket tube, open up and cause a helicopter type descent. This reference does show a method of having a missile ascend and descend in the nose up position, but requires separate stabilizer fins, blade storage in the missile body and a cone ejection mechanism.
Thus, the prior art is replete with early and recent patents teaching various types of helicopter descendible missiles yet none describe the present invention device involving the use of the same fins as vertical stabilizer ascent fins and nose up helicopter descent blades.